Welcome to the Mr. Local History Project
“A 501c3 Non-Profit Dedicated to Preserving and Promoting Jersey History with a Social Twist”
Countdown to America’s 250th Birthday
The Mr. Local History Project is about bringing New Jersey’s past into the present through the stories of real places, real people, and real communities. Focused especially on New Jersey history, the project celebrates local history in a way that feels personal, engaging, and relevant, not something locked away in textbooks, but history that lives where we live. As we head into 2026, the 250th anniversary of the United States, Mr. Local History is turning history into a shared experience. With a social twist, this is about connecting online and in the community, sharing memories, spotlighting hometown stories, and honoring New Jersey’s outsized role in America’s founding. It is history you can explore, share, and be part of together.
Today in America’s History (We Update Every Day)
- 1732: James Oglethorpe is granted a royal charter for the colony of the future U.S. state of Georgia.
- 1778: Pluckemin, New Jersey. Continental Army artillery cantonment during the Revolutionary War, associated with Henry Knox and American artillery training and logistics.
- 1779: Morristown winter encampment in New Jersey. Washingtons army endured a severe winter, associated with Nathanael Greene, Henry Knox, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Baron von Steuben.
- 1863: American Civil War: The Battle of Brandy Station in Virginia, the largest cavalry battle on American soil, ends Confederate cavalry dominance in the eastern theater.
- 1915: William Jennings Bryan resigns as Woodrow Wilson's Secretary of State over a disagreement regarding the United States' handling of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania.
- 1953: The Flint–Worcester tornado outbreak sequence kills 94 people in Massachusetts.
- 1954: Joseph N. Welch, special counsel for the United States Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army–McCarthy hearings, giving McCarthy the famous rebuke, "You've done enough. Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?"
- 1968: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson declares a national day of mourning following the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
- 1973: In horse racing, Secretariat wins the U.S. Triple Crown.
Two Great Calendars – One for Events, One for Exhibits
ABOVE: America Celebrating 250 Years in New Jersey Calendar
BELOW: New Jersey Exhibits across New Jersey Calendar
Readers’ Top 10 MLH Posts this Week
Latest Posts
The Great Swamp: Ice Age, Melting,Airports, Swampers, Raptors, Fireworks & Horror Tales
Views: 100 At first glance, the Great Swamp seems peaceful, a quiet stretch of reeds, willows, and winding creeks lying between Basking Ridge, Harding, and Chatham. Yet beneath its still surface lies a story that spans thousands of years, from…
Perth Amboy’s Great Jersey History
Views: 377 One of the things we enjoy most about the Mr. Local History Project is discovering how seemingly unrelated stories eventually connect. Over the years, we’ve crossed paths with Perth Amboy through the lives of New Jersey’s Royal Governors,…
Historic Ice Yacht Gifted to Lake Hopatcong Club- It’s “Ours”
Views: 84 On February 9, 2026, Brian Haumersen and Mike D Achille returned the historic ice yacht OURS to the ice of the Navesink River at the North Shrewsbury Ice Boat and Yacht Club for the first time in approximately…
That 1779/1780 Winter at Jockey Hollow and a Hut City
Views: 429 Everyone knows the story of Valley Forge. But it’s Jockey Hollow you need to remember. For generations, Americans have learned about George Washington’s Army suffering through the winter of 1777–1778 in Pennsylvania. Valley Forge has become synonymous with…
Documenting the Ridge High School Sailing Program
Views: 120 This post is part of a series in which the Mr. Local History Project will document what we believe are the early stages of a new varsity sport across the state. We plan to meet with the New…
America 250 – Who Remembers 200? This Jersey Guy Does…
Views: 130 If you didn’t feel old, you might start feeling old if you read on. Where did time go? It wasn’t that long ago, was it? Boy, do I feel old. And it’s not that I really feel that…
Statue of Liberty History, Then Some Facts – Jersey Style of Course
Views: 468 The Statue of Liberty’s official name is “Liberty Enlightening the World”. In French:”La Liberté éclairant le monde” Her raised torch represents enlightenment, while the tablet in her left arm bears the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI — July 4,…
High School Sailing Teams in New Jersey …Who Knew
Views: 404 Long before football stadium lights, marching bands, and Friday night rivalries, a quieter competition was taking shape along New Jersey’s bays, rivers, and coastlines. Students were racing sailboats. Today, high school sailing is an established part of the…
Overlooked Heroines of the Revolutionary War – Sarah Livingston Alexander
Views: 54 Part of the Mr. Local History Rev War and Lord Stirling Series As we were researching another story, we came across this really interesting piece published in 1914 about one of the Revolutionary War’s greatest generals, William Alexander,…
Why Morristown Deserves an Arch to Honor America
Views: 373 Perhaps you’ve heard that the US President wants an arch for Washington, DC to honor America’s 250th anniversary. The Mr. Local History Project has another proposal: how about a nationally recognized monument for Morristown, New Jersey, America’s first…
Burger Series – LOVE Jersey Burger History and National Burger Day
Views: 1,041 National Burger Day is Thursday, May 28, 2026For Us – It’s EVERYDAY! If you live in New Jersey, there is no doubt you are in one of the best burger environments in America. Join Mr. Local History as…
MLH Loves To See The Public Engaged….. The Latest Comments
I was a resident of Peapack , living on the road known as Matheny road during the years that Jacqueline…
Jimmy was an integral part of the services throughout the town and was always actively involved. He was always very…
A wonderful man, a hero and true friend of Basking Ridge. My father-in-law grew up with Mr. D and remained…
Jimmy & I have been the greatest of friends since kindergarten in Basking Ridge, going through Maple Ave School, Oak…
I was was blessed to be good friends with Jim. A fascinating person so dedicated to his country, his wife…
Knew Jim from the first day I opened my office. He was a greeter and now he will be greeted.…
Such Sad news….What a legend.He knew everyone and everything about the area, especially BR……..Jimmy Dee, rest easy you will be…
South Finley Barbershop will surely miss his visits. Jimmy was wonderful and I will miss so much him saying hey…
Just to clarify, the Betsy Chance Burden referenced in this post would have been Elizabeth Chace Gammack Burden (1911-2013), first…
Our Summer 2026 Magazine is HERE!
Full of great local Jersey History to keep you on the edge of your history seat.
Special Edition – America’s 250th The SEMI-QUIN-CENTENNIAL is HERE!
See our special digital magazine. Full of great local Jersey History.
Please advise if Sky Farm is having an open house because the date within this document says June 11th Saturday…